1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a camera which is equipped with a wireless remote controller.
2. Description of Related Art
Cameras which are equipped with a wireless remote controller (hereinafter referred to as remote controller) provided separate from the camera body are widely known. This type of camera enables a photographer to photograph himself by operating the remote controller on the object side of the camera.
When a photographer photographs himself by using a camera of this type, the following operations are necessary. First, the photographer frames the background of the picture in which he will be photographed. He adjusts the posture of the camera on a tripod and also operates the zoom lens to adjust the focal length thereof so as to frame the desired picture. The photographer then situates himself in the desired position and operates the remote controller. A releasing signal is transmitted toward the camera so as to release the camera shutter. Upon reception of the releasing signal, the camera shutter is released, and a picture is taken in which the photographer is framed. In this former type of camera having the remote controller, the photographer must frame himself before the picture can be taken. However, the framing operation is obviously quite troublesome.
Considering this fact, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,327, a camera equipped with a remote controller has been proposed which is provided with a framing mode in which distance data between the camera and the photographer is calculated in accordance with the signal outputted from the remote controller and received by the camera. The framing operation with respect to the photographing object (i.e., the photographer) is automatically carried out in accordance with the calculated distance data.
However, in this type of camera, the focal length of the zoom lens is continuously varied until the focal length is coincident with the focal length calculated in accordance with the distance data determined in the framing mode. In other words, the zoom lens in this type of camera is not likely to be driven directly to the desired focal length value, but rather surpass the desired value and oscillate about the desired value until the focal length is within an acceptably accurate range. The driving of the zoom lens and subsequent oscillation occurs even when the existing focal length is shorter than the focal length calculated in the framing mode. In this type of camera, even when the photographer is within the frame of the picture, the zoom lens is driven so as to adjust an existing focal length to the calculated focal length. This driving operation of the zoom lens results in an excessive delay of the shutter release.